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Analyzing graduate student trends in written paper evaluation
Jean Foret Giddens1, Marie Lobo
1College of Nursing, University of New Mexico, MSC 09 5350, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA. jgiddens@salud.unm.edu
The Journal of Nursing Education
|October 17, 2008
Summary
Nursing faculty evaluations of student writing show significant variability. Experienced academic teachers assigned lower scores, focusing comments on grammar and APA style, highlighting a need for clearer grading standards in nursing education.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Academic Assessment
Background:
- Writing is a crucial skill in nursing education.
- Evaluating scholarly written work presents challenges for educators.
- There is a scarcity of nursing literature on scholarly paper evaluation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe and evaluate variations in grading a standardized scholarly paper.
- To identify differences in evaluation practices among graduate nursing students.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 47 graduate nursing students in a nursing education course participated.
- Students graded a standardized mock paper as a course assignment.
- Grading scores and written comments were collected for analysis.
Main Results:
- Significant variability was observed in both scores and written feedback provided.
- Students with prior academic teaching experience assigned significantly lower scores.
- Most comments focused on grammatical errors and adherence to American Psychological Association (APA) formatting and citation rules.
Conclusions:
- Nursing faculty exhibit considerable differences in evaluating student written work.
- Faculty experience in academic settings may influence grading outcomes.
- Further research is necessary to understand nursing faculty paper evaluation practices and develop consistent standards.
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